


Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

by fledermauss



Series: To Blow Out a Candle [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Ann is nobility, F/M, To Blow Out a Candle AU, and uhhhh yeah, i havent written the Big Fic yet and idk if i will but just in case, knight!Akechi, mage!Ann
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 22:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17496818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fledermauss/pseuds/fledermauss
Summary: He wakes to the warmth of the gentle morning sun and the sound of twinkling laughter.





	Every Little Thing She Does is Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [postfixrevolution](https://archiveofourown.org/users/postfixrevolution/gifts).



> Happiest of birthdays to my most cherished friend, confidante, and source of inspiration! Thank you for always being by my side and sticking through even some of the worst storms of my life. I love you with all my heart knows and I can't wait to start my 20s with you. This is far too belated and short to really call it a birthday present, but it's here nonetheless and I really hope you enjoy it. (Made it before that 20 days of being 20 deadline I set, so there's that?)
> 
> I told you it was kind of sort of inspired by a song, and though it's not really evident here, I think you'd like listening to it and Thinking about Them anyways. The song (and really obvious/lazy title source) is Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police, but specifically the Sleeping At Last cover because...you know what I'm like.
> 
> (oh yeah and long time no post. hi guys)
> 
> Not beta-ed because look at who this is for!!

They’ve been traveling together for months now. The nightly guard shifts, the shared meals under what little cover they could find, even the scuffles with the occasional assassin have all melted into  an enjoyable routine (a thought which causes Akechi to stare blankly into the distance on more than one occasion). The mage had fallen into a fever once or twice when it rained for days on end, but she never once stopped pulling enough weight for the both of them.

* * *

He sinks into a bench just inside the sphere of light and warmth that surrounds tonight’s tavern. He’s just far enough to keep himself from the intoxicating air about his charge and still respond should someone attack her. The rain is as nasty as ever in this part of the kingdom and he reaches a hand out to test the cold. If it doesn’t show signs of stopping, they’ll need to leave before anyone catches up to them. Even above the din of hungry travelers laughing and chatting, Ann’s voice carries bright and clear. It dawns on him that he’s smiling despite the exhausting four-day journey at their heels and the endless running ahead of them.

* * *

Within a few hours of leaving the tavern behind to sink into the misty dawn air, they come across a lake, shimmering and clear even as it kisses the fog above it, and decide to eat their first meal of the day. He unpacks the bread, fruits, and sugar that he’d snatched from the kitchen before they left and hands them to her. She smiles at him and he feels his breath catch. He looks away to clear his throat, but by the time he turns back around, she’s already slathering a third layer of jam on her cut of the bread. As she shoves the piece in her mouth and giggles with delight, she wordlessly offers him his own piece, with about a quarter of the jam she uses. He can’t help but let slip a quiet chuckle himself as he bites down into the still-too-sweet snack.

* * *

He realizes with a start that he really doesn’t want to kill her on the fifth day of watching her struggle to tame her hair in the morning. Grimacing, Akechi rises from where he’s seated in an alcove by the window of today’s home, the guest room of a noble who was rather difficult to knock out and stuff in a closet. Prying her fingers from her hair, he mutters a gentle _Allow me._ and gets to work untangling her hair and tying it back into a neatly set crisscross of braids, his fingers carelessly brushing over the nape of her neck as he does. She gasps at her reflection for the fifth time this week and jumps up to crush him into a hug, her lips narrowly missing his ear as she does. He curses himself for his traitorous heart. 

* * *

She wonders what he’s thinking about as he nearly walks into a produce stall in the open-air market, but decides against prodding him about it. His warm eyes haven’t met hers in a while and she decides not to linger on the fact for too long. Coming across a clothing stand, she immediately perks up and goes to work digging through the gaudy reds and yellows to find something worth dressing the knight in for tonight’s festival.

* * *

Struggling to maintain a placid smile on his face, Akechi runs through hundreds of escape scenarios in his mind, all ending in failure, or worse, death. Perhaps if he assassinated his client instead. But no, there are a million fail-safes in place and million more reasons as to why he hadn’t already done so in the past decade. His brow furrows every so slightly and he glances down at the noblewoman before him, still making sure nary a button is out of place on his new garment. He feels vulnerable in broad daylight with her scrutinizing him and his armor chucked off into a corner. 

* * *

Drunk and dizzy on the atmosphere of the spring celebration, he finds himself lost in a fantasy of tomorrow with her leading him forth, two hands clasped over his and a sunny, mischievous smile to match. Here, wherever here is, there are no contracts, no nights spent desperately clawing for warmth. The smell of those sweet pastries he’s grown to love and the feeling of her strong, proud heartbeat thrumming in time to his own chase away the dark hanging in the back of his mind. With a bundle of daffodils in one hand, she uses her free hand to tuck a small gardenia behind his ear.

* * *

They narrowly escape to the forest, flowers still scattered loosely in their hair and Akechi’s pauldron haphazardly slung over his shoulder. Shouts fade out behind them as does the searing rain of fire Ann had loosed upon their attackers. He can feel her hand trembling in his and in response tightens his grip until his knuckles go pale. They come to a halt in a clearing to catch their breaths, listening for sounds of pursuit. She hears nothing save for the rustle of leaves and their own breaths, so Ann collapses into the cool grass and pushes her hair, now messy and undone, away from her face. When she shows no signs of picking herself back up, Akechi collects himself and joins her and takes the spot to her right, still scanning for danger. Without checking to see if he’s following, she points out a familiar constellation. _It’s a crow._ She explains. It’s her favorite. He watches the fear and worry on her face give way to wonder as she names star after star. Exhaustion catches up with her in moments, and he feels panic uncurl its fingers from his heart with each slow exhale from her lips. He reaches for her hand and gives it a squeeze, drifting off as he considers confessing everything to her when it’s light.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if none of this made sense bc it's choppy and I'm rusty as hell but it will to the one it's meant for so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I don't really go here, but stan anngoro, guys


End file.
